What system to start on

[Electric Mike]

was thinking about going all in with a all electric three vessel herms with control box.
Then started to think about a Home Depot round cooler,rectangle cooler and a boil kettle of some sort.
My question would be does one really make a better final product?
I really only like IPAs so that is were I would be heading.

 

[eric19312]

No

Systems don't make beer, brewers make beer. Good brewers make great beer on the oddest range of systems. Automation and control may be a shortcut to consistency but in no way is required to make good beer or any guarantee that the beer made will be good. I think at least half of what goes into making better beer occurs after the wort gets into the fermentor.

 

[RM-MN]

I've gone the exact opposite of the 3 vessel Herms system. I have a kettle and a bag. (and a mill since there is none locally). Look at BIAB as a start. Once you have made good to great beer that way, then consider if you have excess money laying around that you need to spend on a 3 vessel system. I mostly agree with the above except that systems don't make beer and brewers don't either. Brewers make wort, yeast makes that into beer and a very high percentage of what it takes to make good beer happens after you put the wort in the fermenter.

 

[eric19312]

I've heard the brewers make wort and yeast make beer idea before but honestly those little guys just can't be left to do it on their own if you want good beer. Up to the brewer to take charge of sanitation, yeast viability and pitch rate, wort oxygenation, temperature control of fermentation, packaging, conditioning, storing and serving. When you look at the end to end process making chilled hopped wort is just barely getting started.

Edited to add --- I am a three vessel guy and love the process. I do direct fire recirculating mash tun and on brew day it almost feels like the beer is brewing itself. But if I was just starting out now I'd follow RM-MNs advice and go BIAB. I'd take it one step further and get an big enough kettle to go no sparge full volume BIAB. Then with that out of the way I'd focus on fermentation temperature control and packaging process---including getting into kegging and figuring out closed transfers.

 

[newtobrew1981]

I actually went all in with a three vessel system control panel ro water with additions. never brewed before my experience lies with wine kits and pre made wort its not as hard as everyone makes it out to be. That being said I only have one brew under my belt. If it were me I would build my system the way I want to brew in the future. You can always upgrade your components no point in buying a system if you don't plan on brewing that way in the future

 

[jcav]

I have a three vessel e-herms Kal clone with keggles. I have brewed on this system for just over two years now. But I started on the stove 16 years ago and progressed from there. I really love my new rig but I was already brewing for many years and knew I wanted to upgrade. Might be expensive to go all out right away unless you have brewed for a little while, love it, and want to upgrade your system. The cooler mash tun, with a boil kettle and turkey fryer systems work well also. I think the skill comes in on how well you brew on your particular system and how you dial it in. Then you know how to maximize the full potential of your rig and get the best wort out of it consistently. The great thing about my rig is that everything is held at the right temp and is easily kept there, and is very repeatable when you brew the same recipe again. There really is an art in brewing though like good chefs. You can give five people the same recipe and they will not all brew the same beer. The brewer does have talent so to speak and how he or she makes their rig perform. I also am a believer in what others have said. Any good brewer can make good sugar water (wort) but the yeast make the beer. You have to make healthy starters, use yeast nutrient, oxygenate the wort properly, and control the fermentation temps in the very narrow range that is perfect for each particular yeast strain. BIAB is a great way to get into all grain brewing also and is more affordable for a basic BIAB system compared to a three vessel e-herms with a control box. Good luck on whatever you decide to go with.


John